Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. A true 4K product, this became a terrific Dolby Vision presentation.
Sharpness worked well. Virtually no issues with softness materialized, so the movie boasted positive accuracy and delineation.
The image lacked jagged edges or moiré effects, and edge haloes remained absent. Print flaws also remained absent.
Unsurprisingly, the film’s palette favored a definite orange and teal vibe. The disc replicated the colors as intended, and HDR added punch to the tones.
Blacks seemed dark and dense, while shadows appeared smooth and clear. HDR made whites and contrast snap. This wound up as an excellent image.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the Dolby Atmos audio added great dimensionality to the effort. With many action scenes, the mix used the various channels to create a lively, vivid soundscape.
This meant various vehicles zipped around the room in a smooth, convincing manner, while other aspects of gunfire, explosions and mayhem brought out well-placed material that blended together in a nicely integrated way. The soundfield meshed together to deliver a well-rounded impression.
Audio quality also impressed, with speech that seemed natural and concise. Music appeared vivid and full, with dynamic tones.
Effects fared best of all, as those elements seemed accurate and tight, with crisp highs and deep lows. As I expect from a movie of this sort, the soundtrack excelled.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the Blu-ray version? Both came with identical Atmos audio.
As noted, the movie enjoyed a full 4K finish, and that meant the Dolby Vision image delivered an upgrade over the Blu-ray. As great as the latter looked, the 4K seemed better defined and also offered superior colors and blacks. This became a clear step up in quality.
As we head to extras, we find an audio commentary from writer/director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific discussion of story/characters, cast and performances, editing, sets and locations, stunts/action, effects, music and audio, and connected domains.
Even with more than a little happy talk along the way, this becomes a pretty strong commentary. McQuarrie and Hamilton keep the proceedings fast-paced and informative, so we learn a ton about the production along the way.
We also get an isolated score track. Presented via Dolby 5.1 audio, it becomes a nice addition, though it seems too bad the music didn’t receive lossless treatment.
On a separate Blu-ray Disc, we find six featurettes. These encompass “Abu Dhabi” (3:55), “Rome” (4:12), “Venice” (4:12), “Freefall” (9:05), “Speed Flying” (4:17) and “Train” (5:32). A whopping 31 minutes, 13 seconds of programs is all they could find for an entire bonus disc?
Across the programs, we hear from writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, production manager Ben Piltz, production designer Gary Freeman, SFX supervisor Neil Corbould, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood, base jump instructor Miles Daisher, skydive/base/speed flying coordinator Jon Devore, aerial DP Phil Arntz, and actors Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hayley Atwell and Rebecca Ferguson.
The featurettes cover sets and locations, stunts, training and action, camerawork, vehicles and other technical elements.
Behind the scenes materials for Cruise movies tend to lean superficial and glossy, and that becomes the case here. We find the inevitable praise for Cruise and just a generally self-laudatory vibe for the entire production. Some useful information arrives but it comes bogged down in the happy talk.
All the comments above reflect the "standard" 4K release, but this review covers a "Limited Edition" version. In addition to a steelbook case, this one provides a Blu-ray copy of the film itself. Everything else remains the same between the two releases.
As the seventh entry in a movie series that will reach its 30th birthday soon, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One can feel a bit long in the tooth. While the film keeps us mostly engaged, it lacks the spark and punch it needs to really thrive. The 4K UHD boasts excellent picture and audio along with a mix of bonus materials. Maybe the next chapter in the franchise will allow it to bounce back, but this one doesn’t quite zing.
To rate this film visit the prior review of DEAD RECKONING PART ONE